This invention is related to transferring power and information among electrical devices. More particularly, this invention facilitates the transfer of power and information from one electrical device to at least one other electrical device.
Portable electrical devices are an everyday part of life in today's society. Among other things, portable electrical devices, such as iPods, PDAs and cell phones, provide entertainment, improve productivity and enable communication. Some devices can be used to provide additional functionality to another device. For example, a cellular telephone can enable a laptop computer to access the Internet. Other electrical devices are specifically designed to be an accessory device that enhances the functionality of a device. For example, a wireless Bluetooth headset enhances the use of a cellular telephone by allowing users to have a hands-free, wireless conversation through their cellular telephone.
As a result, many people often carry a number of personal electrical devices with them. It is not uncommon for people to have a cellular telephone, wireless headset and digital media device, like Apple's iPod, when they leave their homes.
Most portable electrical devices are powered by a rechargeable battery. Despite advancements in battery technology, many users often wish that the battery in their portable devices lasted longer. Another problem is that, frequently, each portable device has its own charger, which must be carried around. Inevitably, most users are left in a situation where one device has power, but the device that is needed at the moment does not. If the user does not have the right charger available, the user is out of luck.
In addition to carrying around more electrical devices, electrical devices are becoming more complex which causes a number of inconveniences to the user. For example, many different types of portable electrical devices can now be linked together using a number of different wired or wireless standards and/or protocols. Some of these standards and/or protocols, such as the Bluetooth standards, require the user to reconfigure the devices each time it is used to communicate with a new device (often referred to as “pairing”). The configurations can require, for example, that at least one of the devices is identified to the other device in some manner. For example, the pairing of a universal remote control with a particular electrical device (e.g., TV, cable box, etc.) requires the user to follow a series of steps, one of which includes entering a code that represents the brand and type of the device. This pairing process is the cause of great frustration among many users.